Since my backyard is very small, I don't always feel like there's enough room to grow everything we'd like. But just across the green belt from us, there is a church that lets some of their property be used as a community garden. They had some space available, and I was able to get one large bed assigned to my family, which will increase our gardening space by about half.

To cover costs, there will be a $10 fee for each large bed this summer. This also includes access to water and soil amendments, as well as donated seeds. I believe that the $10 will be worthwhile, since it will essentially be the only investment (besides time) that is required, and we will hopefully produce much more than $10 worth of vegetables. Besides, who can measure the value of community involvement? The extra space also means that we can try some unusual things that we wouldn't otherwise have room for.

If you are looking to find some extra gardening space, try searching Google for a community garden in your city (such as Edmonton), or search the American Community Garden database. Another option is to find someone that is willing to share their backyard with you, or garden in your backyard for you, at Sharing Backyards. It takes some extra work to tend a garden that isn't right out your door, but hopefully the harvest makes it worth the effort.